Official Synopsis:

The past tore them apart.

After a terrible accident took everything from Callie Stewart, enrolling at Blairwood University is supposed to be a chance at a new beginning.

Living his best life, Hayden Watson, star wide receiver for the Blairwood Ravens, is heading straight for the NFL draft and nothing is going to stand in his way.

The present brings them together.

Their paths were never supposed to cross, but when they do, all those old demons and feelings come rushing back. Hayden thinks he knows all about Callie’s life before Blairwood and he’s not ready to let go of the past, much less forgive her for what she has done three years ago.

One thing’s for sure… it’s going to take more than a kiss to conquer their broken past.

Note: Kiss To Conquer is an enemies-to-lovers sports romance and it can be read as a standalone novel.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Review:

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

The first book in the Blairwood University series is here! Well, almost. I had the opportunity to read an ARC of Kiss to Conquer, and now I can’t wait for the rest of the series! This book is a must-read for fans of new adult sports romance! Fans of the Fulton U series by Maya Hughes will definitely enjoy this first installment of the Blairwood University series.

Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes because it usually leads to a lot of sarcastic, witty banter, which is really fun dialogue to read. The book is told from two POVs, Hayden’s and Callie’s. Although most of the plot is set in the present, occasionally we get to see glimpses into their past high school selves and interactions.

There was a twist later on in the book that I didn’t see coming, that added complications to Callie and Hayden’s relationship. It makes a lot of sense why that twist was included, I just can’t remember having a whole lot of background information that would have made me guess it in the first place, which made the surprise of it pack more of a punch.

I know that ARC’s often go through more rounds of editing before the final draft, but one thing I found a bit distracting as I read was the sentence fragments. They were used intentionally, but they interrupted the flow for me.

The rest of the series will include companion books that can also be read as standalones that will follow some of the characters that we meet in Kiss to Conquer — stay tuned for my interview with Anna about the book, coming soon!

Overall, I thought this was a good book! I’m excited to read more books in the series, because it means I get to know the supporting characters from this one better, as well as see Hayden and Callie make more appearances!

Kiss to Conquer will be released on June 5, 2020.